The evil spawn dodged the upper and lower swords, but it could not evade the punch that drove straight through its heart. It let out a pained, monstrous shriek.
Ji You pressed his advantage, gripping his sword and sweeping it sideways. His blade surged forth like rolling waves.
The opponent clearly no longer moved as freely as before. Even as it swung its claws in retaliation, it was exceedingly cautious, constantly raising its head to guard against the two sharp swords hanging in the air.
As sword and claw collided, the evil spawn gradually fell into a disadvantage and had no choice but to turn offense into defense.
Ji You, meanwhile, strode forward with calm composure, his face expressionless as he shook his sword and thrust. His strikes grew faster and fiercer, forcing his opponent into a crushing retreat.
Seeing this, everyone thought that two swords had already secured the upper hand. There was probably no need to use the third.
Besides, the evil spawn had already become wary of the three hovering swords. If he used the same trick again, its effect would be greatly diminished.
But at that moment, Ji You suddenly heard a faint sizzling at his ear, and his brow furrowed sharply.
He drove back the Killing Intent-cloaked evil spawn with his sword, then swept his broad sleeve. The third sword, which had remained motionless all along, shot through the air—but instead of flying forward, it pierced straight toward his back!
The spectators abruptly rose to their feet. They watched as the sword charged forward without hesitation, shooting at the black-clad Upper Dao Integration Realm cultivator and curving through the air for his heart from behind!
"What is he doing?!"
"Lightning Law! The third sword is meant to interrupt the Dao Integration Realm cultivator's Lightning Law!"
When cultivators dueled, exchanges of fists lasted no more than an instant. In only a few breaths, they could already trade over a hundred moves.
And amid the chaotic battlefield, Ban Yangshu and Ji Qirui were holding on with extreme difficulty.
Especially the black-clad Dao Integration Realm cultivator. Knowing he had been held back, he grew frantic and directly unleashed his fists like cannons. Though every blow was merely a simple straight punch, sheer force alone could be deadly.
After countless exchanges, a brilliant flash bloomed before Ban Yangshu's eyes. His face went pale. It's over. I can't dodge this.
At that razor-thin moment between life and death, a flying sword cut through the wind!
The black-clad Dao Integration Realm cultivator had never expected an attack from behind. His pupils constricted as he immediately dodged, and at the very last instant, his Lightning Law was interrupted.
At the sight of this, the western streets beneath the night sky erupted into uproar.
Ban Yangshu and Ji Qirui finally had a chance to catch their breath. They immediately lunged forward, their twin swords stabbing out.
Martial skills were ultimately only a minor path...
Cultivating both martial arts and the Dao had been a waste of time after all...
Ban Yangshu recalled what had happened upstairs, his gaze flicking through the night toward the white-robed swordmaster.
It was only a three-foot iron weapon, yet in Ji You's hands, it flowed like drifting clouds and running water, changing through ten thousand forms. And he never made any preparatory motion to retrieve his sword; whenever an opening appeared, he directly switched to the second sword and thrust.
The two swords alternated in his hands. He took one and released another, their angles incomparably tricky.
At the same time, he kept sweeping his sleeve. The third sword, driven by spiritual energy, continuously flew forth to stab at the Dao Integration Realm cultivator before them.
That sword was not powerful, but it could distract a person to an extreme degree.
Sometimes, a clear sword cry rang out, and the blade stopped halfway through its flight—it had been nothing more than a feint!
Yet the Dao Integration Realm cultivator had no choice but to guard against it while fighting them. His rhythm was thrown into disarray, giving Ban Yangshu and Ji Qirui countless chances to breathe.
Lu Qingqiu, Sun Zhiqiao, Lou Siyi, and all the watching cultivators were dumbfounded in that instant.
A cultivator at Perfection of the Lower Three Realms, wielding three spirit swords, had forcibly controlled two battlefields without anyone noticing!
"From the moment he joined the battle, he had already prepared the third sword for his companions!"
"That evil spawn's body is hard as iron; it will not lose its fighting strength in a short time. The only unequal side is the Dao Integration Realm cultivator over there. If those two Profound Insight Realm cultivators were defeated too quickly, then even if his swordsmanship was immortal-like, it would be useless."
"So the third sword was not a killing move at all—it was meant to disrupt his techniques!"
"This is... the Disrupting Sword!"
And just as everyone had guessed, after Ji You's third sword entered the adjacent battlefield, the black-clad Dao Integration Realm cultivator's Lightning Law was interrupted time and again.
Though Ban Yangshu and Ji Qirui were still struggling bitterly, they were no longer as bedraggled as before. Instead, whenever the black-clad Dao Integration Realm cultivator gathered lightning, he would be met by a flying thrust. He grew increasingly furious, never having expected someone at Perfection of the Lower Three Realms to sway the battle so greatly.
Just then, spiritual energy suddenly surged through the western night sky. Countless cultivators in Celestial Academy white robes came striding through the air.
The black-clad Dao Integration Realm cultivator was horrified. He quickly retreated without any intention of continuing the fight, then rode the wind through the air, seized the evil spawn and the injured swordsman, and fled at high speed.
The Celestial Academy forces swiftly split into two groups. One continued the aerial pursuit, while the other descended directly and rushed toward the battlefield.
Ji You suddenly let out a breath, sending the three swords into the scabbards of the three women. His lips were slightly pale.
Old Wang had tricked him.
Though his spiritual essence had suffered backlash after shattering, the efficiency of his spiritual energy circulation had improved greatly. It flowed freely between inside and outside his body, giving him enough spiritual energy to control multiple swords.
But controlling multiple swords did not consume only spiritual energy as Instructor Wang had claimed. In truth, it consumed Divine Sense even more.
It was like trying to think about several things at once in one's mind. It was not easy.
"Ji You! Ji You!"
Cao Jinsong and Wang Xinan arrived swiftly with several disciples. "Are you injured? Where are you hurt?"
Ji You drew a deep breath. "You came far too slowly."
Cao Jinsong had already checked his entire body. "There are no wounds on you. Why is your complexion so terrible?"
"It's my Divine Sense. I used too much of it. I may need to sleep for a long time to recover."
Ji Qirui was also being supported by someone at this moment. He could not help glancing at Ji You, who sat on the ground restoring his senses, before exchanging a look with Ban Yangshu. Their expressions were exceedingly complicated.
They had just said upstairs that cultivating both martial arts and the Dao was useless, yet now they had preserved their dog lives because of him.
If it had not been Ji You—if it had been anyone else at the same realm as him—they definitely would not have survived.
That suspended third sword had not been powerful, but it had placed enough psychological pressure on the Dao Integration Realm cultivator.
So martial arts were not merely pure martial skills. What they fought was also the human heart, the awareness of battle.
Enduring the piercing pain in his shoulder, Ji Qirui said, "He is so skilled with a sword, so why does he not carry more swords when he goes out? If he had four, we might have won."
Cao Jinsong lifted his head at those words. "Carry swords? He's so poor. Are you going to buy them for him? Standing there talking without knowing the pain."
"?"
"Who—who's buying for me? Buying what?"
Ji You, who had been resting with his eyes closed, abruptly lifted his head. The moment he heard someone was buying him something, his interest was piqued.
Cao Jinsong reached out, muttering, "Restore your senses," and wiped his eyes shut. "Send someone to the Celestial Academy to fetch a wooden carriage and carry the injured back to the academy!"
"Yes, Instructor!"
Such a shocking case as Celestial Academy disciples being attacked in the street had occurred in Shengjing, and the academy was furious.
Aside from the team that had already gone in pursuit, the Affairs Management Courtyard also took action upon hearing the news, dispatching a large number of disciples.
The Affairs Management Courtyard stood independent of both the inner and outer academies. It handled internal and external sect affairs, safeguarded the prestige of the immortal sect, and wielded no small amount of authority.
After their involvement, the Great Xia imperial court also caught wind of the matter. It immediately arranged for the Immortal Affairs Supervision Bureau and the county yamen of the site where it began to coordinate in continuously searching for the criminals.
The Celestial Academy disciples soon heard the news as well, and rumors began spreading everywhere.
Thus, at the Ascension Platform, the Dao Comprehension Ground, the Jade Garden of Bingshui Lake, and the men's and women's dormitories, disciples gathered in clusters.
First-years, second-years, third-years—even fourth- and fifth-years who had long lain flat and never left their rooms came out, crowding the corridors and courtyards as they discussed the matter heatedly.
Besides marveling at the criminals' audacity, some were puzzled. How had they survived a battle involving an expert of the Dao Integration Realm? After all, the gap in realms was not something numbers alone could make up for.
"Ji You."
"Ji You? He has not even entered the Upper Five Realms. What could he possibly do?"
"Cultivating both martial arts and the Dao, three swords alone, forcibly controlling two battlefields..."
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